TheOche.com

Michael van Gerwen, one of the most exciting prospects in the game, will stun the darts fraternity when it is announced on Monday that they will leave the British Darts Organisation (BDO) in favour of a switch to the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).

(Article by Gary Jacob on Times Online)

Van Gerwen, 17, as well as Jelle Klaasen and Mervyn King, will follow Raymond van Barneveld, who was crowned PDC world champion last week, a year after leaving the BDO.

Van Gerwen and Klaasen, both of the Netherlands, have shown considerable promise despite being knocked out in the first round of the BDO tournament at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green, Surrey, this week.

Van Gerwen became the youngest champion of a leading darts event when he won the Winmau World Masters in Bridlington, East Yorkshire, in October, while Klaasen became the youngest world champion when he won the BDO title last year aged 21. Both are expected to move quickly up the PDC rankings. The PDC is keen to recruit top players, including those from the Netherlands, after signing a five-year contract with SBS 6, a Dutch television station, last year. Klaasen is thought to have a contract with the BDO, which is unlikely to be happy about the defections.

King has twice been runner-up at Lakeside in the past five years. He is the No 5 seed for this year?s tournament and will play Tony Eccles in the quarter-final tonight.

The defecting players ? who will be sponsored by KeukenConcurrent, a kitchens supplier in the Netherlands ? could play in the Stan James Players Championship, on January 20 in Gibraltar, if they were to enter by tonight.

Gary Robson, Van Gerwen?s conqueror in the first round, came back from 3-1 down to defeat John Walton 4-3 in the second round of the BDO World Championship last night. Robson struggled for consistency but managed to stay in touch with the No 14 seed thanks to some fine doubles. He will play Niels De Ruiter, the No 11 seed from the Netherlands, who beat Simon Whitlock, of Australia, 4-3.

Phil Nixon, a qualifier, defeated Martin Atkins, the No 10 seed, 4-1. Nixon, a househusband, qualified for the tournament for the first time in 20 years.

?168,500: Raymond van Barneveld’s prize money since switching to the PDC in February. He is No 2 in the order of merit.